The Tri-City Interfaith Council will host a local interfaith celebration on Saturday, February 1, 2014, 1:00-4:00 p.m. World Interfaith Harmony Week was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, in a resolution that states: “mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace” and so they “established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.”

The afternoon event will give space for many different faith traditions to be represented by their local communities. Participants from local communities of Atheist, Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist, and more will have booths showcasing their beliefs, traditions, and sacred objects. There will also be an hour long moderated discussion between leaders of the faith communities that is sure to be entertaining and enlightening. The event will take place at the Fremont Veterans Memorial Building, 37154 2nd St., in the Niles neighborhood of Fremont.

According to Moina Sheik, the primary coordinator of the event, it is being held “to build bridges of understanding, respect, and support among diverse people of faith through education, dialogue, and socialization, and to strengthen family and community in solidarity with others across lines of race, class and religion.”

“Fremont is an incredible community, and a big part of what makes it so special is its diversity,” said co-planner the Rev. Jeremy Nickel, the minister at Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation. “This event intends to bring all of our traditions together to look for common understandings and shared values. The differences we find can also be exciting and educational if we approach them non-judgmentally.”